They are on to remind people to get registered for the major fundraiser
for the Western Nebraska Community College Foundation, the Platte
Valley Companies Monument Marathon, by tomorrow when the registration
price increases.

Lola Gonzales from the Scottsbluff Family YMCA joins Kevin Mooney on
KNEB's News Extra program Tuesday morning to talk about a couple of
upcoming events, both to be held on September 10th.

The Healthy
Families Day is a free community event that will run from 9 a.m. until 2
p.m. September 10th at the Trails West YMCA Camp and will include a
variety of fun activities.

The annual Community "Y Not Ride" event also takes place on September 10th. The ride starts at 7 a.m. at Scotts
Bluff National Monument and goes to Agate Fossil Beds National
Monument. Distances are 50 miles one way, or a 100 mile round trip.

Mario is on the program to talk about a unique Americorps grant opportunity.

Scottsbluff Public Schools has been awarded a $54,920.00 Americorps
service grant that will focus on education initiatives from Pre – K
through the 12th grade. The initiative will put service members in
several of our elementary schools, the high school and both ReConnect
and CHOICES to assist with classroom
interventions, mentor, tutor and provide one on one assistance to
students who are struggling or need extra assistance. The grant will
provide Scottsbluff Schools with 7 members who will serve the district
this school year. Each member will receive a monthly stipend and will
also be eligible for a Segal Education Award once they have completed
the Americorps program. The Segal Award can be used to pay for college
or can be passed down to immediate family members. The program will
begin September 1, 2016.

Cody Creech, Dryland Cropping Systems Specialist for the Panhandle Research & Extension Center in Scottsbluff will be at the Crop Rotation workshop in Harrisburg Thursday, Aug. 25. Discussing te value of residue on crops.

A deadline of Oct. 4 is looming for ag producers. In a struggling farm economy producers have about six weeks to respond to the Environmental Protection Agency report on the environmental impacts of atrazine.
The report if unchallenged would mean a virtual ban on atrazine.

The sixth annual Best of the West Beer and Wine Fest will be held Saturday, Aug. 20, in downtown Scottsbluff. The event will serve a variety of wine and beer, including a Nebraska beer called Kinkader from Broken Bow. As most everyone knows, beer comes from hops and while Nebraska may have vineyards across the state, hops are still pretty much an eastern Nebraska crop. I talked with Kinkader Production Manager Nate Bell about what kind of environment it takes to grow hops.